The International Grains Council said it lowered its estimate of world wheat production for 2010/11 by 13 million metric tons, to 651 MMT -- but that's still the third largest crop on record.
Leading into the National Cattlemen's Beef Association summer meeting, five major agricultural and livestock groups sent a letter Wednesday indicating they still have concerns "regarding the financial, operational, and governance firewalls" at NCBA that prevent the groups from supporting NCBA's effort to restructure its governance.
Given sizable tax increases on dividends and capital gains starting in 2011, you may want to schedule an appointment with your tax adviser extra early this year. Taking action now is especially important if you have a C corporation that's been accumulating dividends instead of paying them, DTN Tax Columnist Andy Biebl emphasized in his "Ask the Taxman" article this week.
Leading global construction company Isolux Corsan will be working with Colombia-based Bioenergy to develop a plant that will produce ethanol from sugar cane, Energy Digital reported. The facility will have an annual processing capacity of more than 2 million tons of cane and a 40 megawatt co-generation plant using bagasse or sugar cane and other facilities that will distill, mill and produce vinasse using the same raw material.
With mandatory price reports scheduled to expire on September 30, the clock is definitely ticking on the much-needed repairs noted by Senator Grassley. I vigorously applaud the first two proposals, the former a bit more than the latter.
Meet Greg Horstmeier, the new editor-in-chief of DTN. The good news -- or bad news, depending on your viewpoint -- is that Letter From the Editor will continue to be written by its current author, even though he's no longer the editor.
Dry July weather is causing damage to the crops of British Columbia, Canada, CTV British Columbia reported on Thursday. Opinder Bhatti of O'Bhatti Farm said he expects his sweet corn will yield about 40 percent less than last year.
7/29 2:51PM Grain and oilseed contracts posted solid rallies again Thursday with wheat once again leading the way. Late in the session, old-crop soybean surged to a new high, while corn seemed less than enthused.
Weather
Mild Temps in North, Central US Friday7/29 1:58PM Friday will bring mild conditions to the northern and central areas for temperatures. We'll also see moderate rain in the northwestern Midwest.
Crops
Rootworm is not a big problem right now, but producers should remain vigilant, because if you're not paying attention, pests can flare up. (Photo courtesy Marlin Rice, Iowa State)
Some Insect Numbers DownRootworm, Early Aphid Counts Low, Could Flare7/28 3:25PM Wet weather and other factors have so far kept soybean and corn insect pests at bay. Bug experts stress growers should continue scouting, especially for corn rootworm and soybean aphid damage.
Thu Jul 1, 2010 01:29 PM CDT When applying foliar nutrients along with postemergent glyphosate, make sure the nutrients are designed for such a mix. Cheaper products can tie up the herbicide and compromise weed control.
Wed Jun 16, 2010 08:14 AM CDT Monsanto announced a new corn herbicide brand, partially in response to concerns about weeds resistant to its flagship Roundup products. The product is similar to SureStart, and includes three herbicidal active ingredients. It's expected to be available in 2011 for pre-emergence and postemergence corn applications.
Livestock
Producers with cattle close to market weight could see reduced profits as feed efficiency slides in areas where the heat continues to be excessive. (Progressive Farmer image by Jim Patrico)
Heat StressCattle Profits Hit By Heat Wave7/26 3:58PM In Kansas feedlots, more than 2,000 cattle were reported dead from the heat last week. That is the largest number of deaths attributed to heat in the state in at least 17 years. But the dead animals are only part of the story.
Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:23 AM CDT An attorney for the American Meat Institute says a new rule on livestock competition is driven by livestock producers who want to limit how other producers buy and sell their livestock.
Wed Jul 28, 2010 03:00 PM CDT The keys to efficient production, says Alabama cattle producer Greg Young, are making sure lime and fertilizer amounts are correct, rainfall is adequate and cuttings are well timed.
Tue Jul 20, 2010 01:26 PM CDT El Tejar, the world's largest farm company, planted 2.75 million acres this year, but owns no farm machinery. By keeping overhead low, it could be on track to reach 4 million acres by 2015.
Farm Business
El Tejar Brazil manager Javier Angio and production manager Juan Pablo Di Giacomo oversee the winter corn harvest in Mato Grosso. (DTN photo by Kieran Gartlan)
World's Largest Farm Company ExpandsBrazil Outback Lures Argentine Farm Giant7/15 1:40PM El Tejar, the world's largest farm company, planted 2.75 million acres this year, but owns no farm machinery. By keeping overhead low, it could be on track to reach 4 million acres by 2015.
E-Z-GO's ST 480 ($9,543) comes with a standard cargo box, made of heavy-duty rotomolded plastic, with a bed volume of 9.6 cubic feet.
Putting the Utility in UVsHauling, Towing Capacity Good to Know7/14 2:03PM DTN Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Dan Miller discusses pertinent features of a host of new utility vehicles. Sometimes what the manufacturer wants to highlight and what's important to the farmer are two different things.
Thu Jul 8, 2010 12:32 PM CDT Tractor companies are beginning to announce plans for meeting Tier 4 emissions standards for high-horsepower diesel engines. They also hint at other bells and whistles to tempt growers back in to showrooms for the new machines.
Ag Policy
Independent cattle producers and other livestock organizations have long questioned the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's "firewall" segregating policy work from checkoff work. (Logo courtesy of the NCBA)
Audit Questions NCBA ExpensesGroup Acknowledges Mistakes But Defends Internal Firewalls7/27 2:34PM An audit report requested by the Cattlemen's Beef Board found instances in which money meant to go to fund beef checkoff activities at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association was actually being used for policy work. The report comes as NCBA and the Beef Board gear up for their summer meetings later this week in Denver.
Tue Jul 20, 2010 06:27 AM CDT An attorney for the American Meat Institute says a new rule on livestock competition is driven by livestock producers who want to limit how other producers buy and sell their livestock.
Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:19 AM CDT The Obama administration proposed new livestock competition rules last month that stem from provisions added to the 2008 farm bill. Some major livestock and packer organizations have criticized the rules, but attorney David Domina says the rules protect the cash market and could spur more competition for better-quality meat.
Fri Jul 23, 2010 05:56 PM CDT Without a regulatory regime either pushing a price on carbon emissions or a drive to increase renewable electricity on a national level, agriculture likely faces a problem of oversupply in carbon offsets and biomass energy, some experts in those markets say.
Farm Life
John Rice, of Ohio State Communications and Technology, is submerged in corn during a grain bin rescue demonstration at the Ohio Farm Science Review. (DTN/Progressive Farmer image by Susan K. Davis)
Trapped in GrainOther Farm Accidents Down, But Grain Fatalities on the Rise7/26 10:14AM While most on-farm deaths, such as tractor overturns and power-take-off shaft incidences, are decreasing, the number of children and adults being engulfed in grain is rising every year, reports Bill Field, Purdue University Extension safety specialist. In 2008 there were 34 grain entrapments nationwide compared to 33 in 2007. In five years, incidences increased 33%, according to Purdue University's National Grain Entrapment Database.
Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:14 AM CDT We look at the labor shortages that make working the land difficult for farm families. "Finding anyone to work on a farm now is nearly impossible," says Chuck King.
Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:15 AM CDT Each year DTN finds five growers with different crop mix plans to feature in our Planting Choices series. We will visit these producers at planting time, during the growing season and at harvest to see how the year treats them. In this, the first of five profiles, Kansas grower Pat Janssen explains how critical it is to keep his irrigation equipment working.
Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:16 AM CDT Each year DTN finds five growers with different crop mix plans to feature in our Planting Choices series. We will visit these producers at planting time, during the growing season and at harvest to see how the year treats them. In this, the second of five profiles, Missouri grower Joel Abeln shares how heavy rains have delayed planting his crop.
Featured Column
Corn's historic price range continues to hold up well, particularly on breaks into the lower third of the range.(DTN chart by Darin Newsom)
Sanow's Market SenseDoes Corn Remain A Demand-Driven Market? 7/29 10:51AM The question I will try to answer during a presentation this week in Mitchell, S.D., will be: Is the "demand market" in corn alive and well?
Satellite companies such as WildBlue, SkyWay USA and HughesNet are beefing up their offerings to hone in on those last residents left unconnected. (Progressive Farmer Photo by Jim Patrico)
Link Up RightPicking the Right Provider When High-Speed Options Limited7/7 8:10AM With rural broadband money included in the stimulus package, satellite internet providers are champing at the bit to reach those in rural America deemed unreachable by traditional broadband companies.
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Little Movement Seen in Fertilizer Prices 
